godly sorrow

7:10godly sorrow. Instead of provoking resentment against Paul by the Corinthians, whom he had rather severely censured in that letter, Paul’s first letter had actually produced sorrow for their sins—“godly sorrow,” that is, of sorrow from God—leading to true repentance and correction of the sin which had been particularly rebuked (I Corinthians 5:1-6; note verse 6, also II Corinthians 2:1-10). This response proved the genuineness of their salvation.